Piranha
Piranha Advancements (formerly known as Pir-Hana) are an Anti-Gravity racing team from Brazil, although they also appeared as a China-based team. They first appeared as a secret team in Wipeout 2097 and later become a playable team in the next installments. History Piranha was formed in 2044 as a result of a merger between two smaller Brazilian companies: Pir and Hana. Despite the subtle and mysterious appearance of the team, they had played an important role of the creation of Anti-Gravity Racing by establishing the Anti-Gravity Federation (Later the International Federation of Anti-Gravity Racing) and the Anti-Gravity Racing Championship. Mysteriously, the company pulled out of AG racing entirely when the F3600 League was introduced in 2050. They relocated to China and produced airbrakes for AG Systems and Auricom ships before returning to craft development in 2060. During this time, the team started to gain a reputation as fierce perfectionists. The team brought this reputation to a craft of their own for the first time in the F5000 League, entering a craft that was literally perfect in every statistical area. It's only flaw was that it could not use weapons, but with sheer power and speed, this flaw was usually compensated for by the most skilled pilots. In future leagues, their craft was no longer godlike in all stats, as well as having been moved to Brazil, but it was still a strong performer overall. Their perfectionism was consistent throughout the team's journey, as Aries Piermont, the company leader at the time of the F9000 League, always emphasized aiming as high as possible. This was further evident with their Piranha's acqusition of Assegai Developments in 2150, when the Piranha craft were one of the best in the league thanks to Assegai's handling abilities. Even with his passing, the team continues to believe in his vision, although around this time the team changed in terms of performance. Through the great recession, Piranha withdrew from the public eye, but continued operations at their secure factory base in Brazil. Images captured by covert surveillance over the years showed that the team was busy indeed, with constant activity being recorded at their wind tunnels and fabrication facilities. However, with no outlook for their development, Piranha were losing money. They sold Assegai back to the United African Nations in 2181, and were eventually bought out by the Brazilian government. Secretive as ever, a surprise appearance at the Anti-Gravity Rebirth Festival in 2185 confirmed that Piranha Advancements were most certainly continuing to develop their trademark style of sleek and agile craft. Although they would take a limited role in the development of the FX150, Piranha pressed the League Committee hard for the introduction of a professional series, and that influence would result in the announcement of the FX300 League in 2195. After years of uncertainity behind the scenes (perhaps due to their worsening performance), Piranha returned for the FX400 League. They had created a new ship, of which they claimed to be the fastest, only to be disputed by Icaras, which would join the League with a ship with the matchable speed. Despite this, Piranha kept going on the League, and had shown such an impressive improvement on their performance. FX400 Message Since the turn of the century and the passing of Aries Piermont, Piranha has travelled a sometimes difficult and treacherous path. With Aries' death I lost a great friend and a man I looked to daily for guidance and inspiration. Piranha the team lost not just our leader, but our reason for being. Thus, we have struggled on like a ship without a rudder for the past six years, unsure of tomorrow, unsure of our ultimate destiny. Now, as the man chosen to replace Aries Piermont, I have set our team on the road to recovery mindful of something he once told me: 'It is not enough just to run the team – one must lead the team.' For Brazil, for the fans, and for Aries I will do my very best to follow that advice and return our team to the front of the pack, starting with the inaugural season of the FX400 Racing League. Appearance, Evolution & Stats The Piranha ships have always had a highly aerodynamic shape, resembling a fish. As Aries Piermont's vision implies, Piranha devoured most of the grid with its perfectionism. In Wipeout 2097, the ship had perfect stats in every area, but lacked the ability to fire weapons. In Wipeout 3, the ship is very mobile with moderate to high speed, but low shield, due to the craft's very lightweight frame. In Wipeout Fusion, the ship returns to its 2097 reincarnation in terms of stats, though not as perfect as it was. However, in the post-Piermont era, the ship has generally been heavier, with very high top speed and shield, compensating for poor thrust and handling, despite the maintained aerodynamic design (this was probably due to the state ownership). As it is to be expected of a heavyweight ship, it is difficult to fly if not experienced with the airbrakes, and is not recommended for beginner pilots. However, once the tough handling is mastered and the wall and weapon impacts are minimized, it can truly devour the competition with raw speed and power. In Pure, Piranha is the fastest ship compared to the other ships, perfect for open circuits. However, due to the low thrust, it will take a long time to reach the top speed. Also, the lack of handling makes it unsuitable for technical circuits. Apart from those, the ship shielding is considered decent. The ship model in Pure is reused for Pulse and HD, having the shield improved while maintaining the high top speed. The lack of thrust and handling may become an issue, but it will be no more with the Fury prototype. The explicit improvement of the thrust at least has solved the problem on low acceleration. However, probably because of the minor handling improvement, the lack of turning capability may still be an issue. Gallery Pir-hana2048.jpg|Pir-Hana logo from Wipeout 2048 Pir-hana2048_B.png|Alternate Pir-Hana logo from Wipeout 2048 Piranha_WO2097.png|Piranha logo from Wipeout 2097 Piranha_WO3.png|Pirhana logo from Wipeout 3 Piranhafusion.png|Piranha logo from Wipeout Fusion Piranha_pure.png|Piranha logo from Wipeout Pure Piranha_pulse.png|Piranha logo from Wipeout Pulse Trivia *"Piranha" is an omnivorous freshwater fish that inhabits South American rivers, noticeable with its sharp teeth and a voracious appetite for meat. Category:Teams